Nod for Mahanadi riverfront devpt in Sambalpur

Bhubaneswar: The water resources development department has approved development of Mahanadi river front near the Samaleswari shrine in Sambalpur.
The project is part of the Samaleswari Temple Area Management and Local Economic Initiatives (SAMALEI) that aims for redevelopment of the 16th century Samaleswari temple and river front development to give a boost to religious tourism.The government has approved a Rs 200-crore plan and made necessary budgetary provisions.
Lakhs of devotees from Odisha and outside visit the shrine throughout the year. According to official sources, the river front development work is planned over 22 acres along the Mahanadi in front of the shrine.
Major components like development of wetlands, construction of a sewerage treatment plant to treat the grey water before it enters the lake system and beautification of wetland with tourism amenities.
There will also be food parks, architectural park, open-air theatre and outlets for showcasing and selling the famous handlooms and handicrafts products is also part of the SAMALEI plan. The Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation Ltd (OBCC) has been implementing the plan.
While approving the plan, the water resources department has asked the OBCC to ensure that discharge of flood water in the Mahanadi should not be hampered due to river front development work.
The department has also directed that encroachment of river should not be done to construct the waterway to avoid development of afflux on upstream side of the proposed structure. Besides, the steps proposed for access to the riverbed are to be made over the existing slope profile without any encroachment of the river section.
The OBCC will repair the embankment if it is damaged during and after the development of the river front, said a senior official.
Other major components of the SAMALEI plan include development of the temple complex spreading over 12 acres.